FactCheckNI partners with FactCheckEU for European-wide coveragePRESS STATEMENT by FactCheckNI19 March 2019

Hoaxes know no borders, especially in Europe. That’s why FactCheckNI is proud to announce the launch of FactCheckEU, a collaborative effort from 19 European fact-checking outlets to tackle disinformation and hoaxes, ahead of the 2019 European parliamentary elections in May. FactCheckNI will contribute relevant material, such as the UK’s departure from the EU.Continue reading FactCheckNI partners with FactCheckEU for European-wide coverage

CLAIM: Almost as many health appointments were cancelled by hospitals as were the result of patients not turning up.

CONCLUSION: Accurate with consideration. In 2017/18, hospitals cancelled more appointments (175,428) than patients not showing up (139,351). However, in the same period, patients cancelled notably more appointments (207,960) than hospitals did. Hospitals account for 34% and patients 66% of all appointments scheduled but not held.Continue reading As many appointments cancelled by hospital as patient no-shows?

In Northern Ireland, much data are reduced to communal categories of “Protestant” and “Catholic”, for the purposes of monitoring the delivery of public services and compliance with discrimination legislation. These two religious denominations are also used as proxy for British unionist and Irish nationalist identities. For some, a Protestant-majority population provides assurance of continuation of the Union with Great Britain; for others, a Catholic-majority population means a call for a referendum for a united Ireland. Thus the decennial exercise of the Northern Ireland population census has an added sensitivity and importance.Continue reading Communal counting: The Northern Ireland census

As part of their engagement programme, Queen’s University Belfast hosted a lecture by radio and television personality, Stephen Nolan, who was introduced by Ryan Feeney. Much of Nolan’s lecture was an autobiography of how he has developed his career in journalism and working for the BBC. His views on the topics in the lecture title — “Enhancing the Democratic Debate in the Era of Fake News” — were teased out during the question and answer session.Continue reading Stephen NOLAN: Enhancing democratic debate in the era of fake news?